Jacob Wonderbar is a troublemaker, so it's no surprise to his friends or his mom when the latest of many substitute teachers sends him to the principal's office. Although he's grounded and banned from fun, he still manages to acquire a spaceship for the price of a microwave corndog. Once in space, Jacob, his mousy accomplice Dexter and his friend Sarah accidentally "break the universe." And their day just keeps getting worse from there. Space buccaneer Mick Cracken, a 12-year-old bandit and prince of the universe, captures them. While with Mick, they learn that they cannot return home, because the only route back to Earth is through a destroyed section of space. The rest of the book follows them from strange planets to stranger planets on their quest to get home. They visit planets like Numonia, where the air smells like burp breath and the days are only one minute long. Through their adventures, their friendships are tested, but they all come together in the end and make it home.

Yes, the personalities of Jacob, Dexter, Sarah and even Mick Cracken are realistic. Jacob is believable; he acts up, has fights with his friends and defends them as well. Dexter's constant fear and nervous attitude is also authentic. He is willing to split the blame with his friend when he has to, but is never eager to get into trouble. Sarah is also realistic. She is the goody-goody who couldn't get into trouble if she tried. Mick becomes more believable as you learn about him. He is a normal kid who doesn't want to accept certain responsibilities, so he runs away from them.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best), how would you rate this book?

I would rate this book an 8. Author Nathan Bransford does a great job of introducing the story and describing the characters. But the book quickly gets very unrealistic and almost random. It is a fun and easy read, however, that will keep kids turning the pages. And it is a story with a message about friendship and sacrifice. Once you read this book, you will definitely want to look for the sequel when it comes out.